People wait in line to get into a VIP Opening at Ballpark Village in St. Louis on March 27, 2014. Ballpark Village is one of the first master-planned developments designed around Busch Stadium. The approximately 120,000 square foot multi-story first phase of the multi-phased project is visible beyond the center field wall and is designed to look like an extension of Busch Stadium with bars, restaurants and entertainment spots. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – The home opener for the Cardinals is extra special this year.

The official unveiling of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum at Ballpark Village happens in a few hours, with a dedication ceremony set for 10 a.m., and the official opening at 11 a.m.

Museum manager Brian Finch gave us a sneak preview of the museum experience.

“They will literally take a chronological walk through Cardinals history,” he says. “We have seven different galleries—some of those focus on eras where we played in a specific ballpark, some of those are themed, we even have a gallery that’s for changing exhibits.”

Finch says it will be the place where all the Cardinals “bling” lives, including World Series rings and championship trophies and jerseys from your favorite Redbirds past and present.

He says they were able to draw on the Cards’ spectacular history to stock the museum.

“We even have the trophy from the 1880s American Association Brown Stockings Championship clubs, all the way to Yadier Molina’s World Series jersey from 2013,” he says.

You can even get up close and personal with the jersey Allen Craig was wearing when he scored the winning run after a pivotal obstruction call at home plate in Game 3 of the World Series.

Admission to Cardinals Museum here at Ballpark Village will be $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and military personnel, and $8 for children.

Finch adds there’s a discount if you book a stadium tour at the same time.

Brett Blume has been employed as a News Reporter at KMOX since September 2002.
Brett is a life-long resident of the St. Louis area, having grown up in a neighborhood in Bridgeton that now lies underneath the new Lambert Airport runway.
His...